Mechanical actuator for manual stapler



Dec. 11, 1956 Filed Oct. 6, 1954 F. MAGIDSON MECHANICAL ACTUATOR FOR MANUAL STAPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet i i at INVENTOR. j A A/VK MAG/030 BY Q 7 walla),

Unite States ate I'll MECHANICAL ACTUATOR FOR MANUAL STAPLER Frank Magidson, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Talg Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsy vania Application October 6, 1954, Serial No. 460,591

9 Claims. (Cl. 1-3) This invention relates to a mechanical actuator for operating a conventional manual stapler used for fastening together various materials, and more particularly for fastening identification tags of paper or cloth on articles of clothing that are to be commercially cleaned.

In using a conventional manual stapler, the operator has only one hand free during the stapling operation to hold the material to be stapled, since the other hand is required to operate the stapler. This condition makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to staple together two or more articles that must be held in proper alignment during the stapling operation, such as a number of sheets of paper, or to staple an identification tag on bulky articles of clothing that can be conveniently'held only with two hands.

It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide a mechanical actuator that will be adapted to operate a manual stapler, that will leave both hands of the operator free during the stapling operation to hold the material to be stapled and that will be simple and positive in its operation and of rugged yet economical construction. Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention, in connection with the accompanying drawings. In those drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the actuator, with a con ventional manual stapler shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the right side of Fig. l, having the stapler and part of the side cover removed; and

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 1V--IV of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the actuator includes a base member 1 and an upright member 2 extending above the middle of the base member. Mounted on the latter and to one side of the upright member, is a conventional manual. stapler 3 (shown in broken lines). This stapler has the usual base 4 and anvil 5, forming its lower or fixed jaw; its upper or movable jaw 6 is mounted on the pivot 7, and includes a staple driving plunger 8. The base of the stapler is supported by pads and may be secured to the base member of the actuator by clamps ill, engaging the base of the stapler at the front and rear. It will be noted that the jaws of the stapler extend beyond the forward edge of the upright member to permit the material to be stapled to be inserted between those jaws from the front. The depth to which such material is inserted can be conveniently controlled by the vertically extending stops 12, adjustably mounted by screws 13 on the base member; these stops also serve as means for laterally aligning the stapler on the base member.

A bearing 15 is mounted on the upright member 9. and extends through that member (see Fig. 4). This hearing supports a shaft 16, on the opposite ends of which are keyed crank arms 17 and 18, held in place by screws 1'9 and 20, respectively. The left hand crank arm 17 is bent so that its outer end 21 is directly over the plunger 8 of the stapler, and in striking relation thereto. the arm is provided with a striking head 22 of rubber, or other stiff, resilient material.

That end of tion to the plunger.

2,773,258 Patented Dec. 11, 1956 The right hand crank arm in its normal position extends above and below the shaft 16 (see Fig. 3). The lower end of that arm is cut at an angle to form a point 25 adapted to engage the shoulder 26 of a notch 27 on a latch arm 28 for securing the crank arm against rearward movement. The latch arm is pivotally mounted on the upright member by the pivot screw 29, adjacent the rear end of the arm. Its front end is urged upward to bring the notch into engagement with the crank arm by a leaf spring 31, one end of that spring being attached to the rear end of the latch arm by the screw 32 and the other end engaging a stop 33 mounted on the upright member. The front end of the latch arm has a latch bar 34, which is adapted to be depressed by the opera-tor to release the crank arm 18. Mounted on the latter arm, adjacent its lower end, is a stud 35 to which is secured one end of a tension coil spring 36. The other end of that spring is secured to a spring adjusting plate 37, which is pivot-ally mounted on the upright member by the pivot pin 33. This plate is provided with an arcuate slot 39 and a locking screw 4t passing through the slot and then into the upright member, so that the tension on the spring 36 can be adjusted by rotating the plate 37 about its pivot and locking it in place in the desired position.

To the upper end of the arm 18 is pivot-ally connected one end of a link 42. The other end of that link is pivotally connected to the short arm 43 of a bell crank 44, mounted on the upright member by .the pivot screw 45. The other arm of the bell crank 46 serves as a resetting lever and extends forwardly of the upright member and terminates in a flat plate 47 adapted to be depressed by the operator to force, through the linkage described, the lower end of the crank arm 18 forward to latch it in its cocked position in the notch of the latch arm 28. A stop 4% on the upright member in front of the lower end of the crank arm 18 prevents that arm from moving too far forward in the resetting operation.

The operating elements on the right hand side of the actuator are preferably covered with a cover plate 55 secured to the upright member by a screw 51 and a spacing collar 52. A portion 53 of this cover extending around the front of the device and abutting against the upright member, is provided with openings 54 and 55, respectively, through which pass the bell crank resetting lever 46 and the latch arm 28, so that those two elements are readily "accessible to the operator.

It will be apparent that the crank arm 17 and C18, locked on the shaft 16, act as a hammer handle, the head of the hammer being represented by the striking head 22 mounted on crank arm 17, adapted to strike the plunger 8 of the stapler when the crank arm 18 is released from its cocked position by depressing the latch bar 34. This hammer can then be reset in its cocked position by pressing down on the resetting lever 46, so that the triking head 22 will again be poised above and in striking rela- In using the actuator, the operator inserts the material to be stapled within the jaws of the stapler using both hands for this operation to properly align and hold the material to be stapled. When using the stapler to fasten an identification tag to an article of clothing to be dry cleaned, the tag is usually a piece of stiff rag paper and can be placed on the front clamp 11 so as to extend in front of and across the opening between the jaws of the stapler. The operator, holding the garment in both hands, presses an edge of the garment against the tag opposite the opening between the jaws of the stapler. This pressure folds the tag around the edge of the gem ment and introduces both within the jaws. Looking at Fig. l, the operators right thumb will then be directly in front of and in a position to depress the latch bar 3'4- to release the crank arm 18. Spring 36 is suificiently strong to impart a powerful impulse to the striking head 22,

causing it to strike the staple diving plunger with enough force to drive a staple through a tag and a bulky article of clothing, or through a number of sheets of paper. In fact, the spring can be made sufliciently powerful'to cause the striknig head to deliver as strong a blow on the plunger of the stapler as can ordinarily be given by the operators hand in using the stapler in the conventional manner. And the leverage of the bell crank resetting mechanism is sufiicient to permit recocking the hammer with case.

It Will be apparent that this invention provides simple and positive means for mechanically actuating a conventional manual stapler in such a Way that both hands of the operator Will be free to manipulate and hold the material to be stapled. Its use is, of course, not limited to attaching identification tags to articles of clothing, but includes fastening together any materials for which the conventional stapler can be used. In addition, the device is simple and foolproof in operation, and can be used to operate all staplers of conventional type.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A mechanical actuator for operating a conventional manual stapler having a base and a depressible staple driving plunger, said actuator comprising a base member for receiving and holding the base of the stapler, an upright member secured to the base member, a striking head pivotally mounted on the upright member above and in striking relation to the plunger, spring means operatively connected with the striking head and one of the members for urging the striking head into striking engagement with the plunger, and releasable latch means pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected with the striking head for normally holding the striking head in a cocked position out of engagement with the plunger.

2. A mechanical actuator in accordance with claim 1, which also includes manual resetting means pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected with the striking head for restoring the striking head to its cocked position after it has been brought into striking engagement with the plunger.

3. A mechanical actuator for operating a conventional manual stapler having a base and a depressible staple driving plunger, said actuator comprising a base member, an upright member secured to the base member, means for securing the base of the stapler on the base member with a side of the stapler adjacent the upright member, a crank arm rotatably mounted on the upright member, a

striking head mounted on the free end of that arm above and in striking relation to the staple driving plunger, spring means operatively connected with the striking head and one of the members for urging the arm to move the striking head into striking engagement With the plunger, a releasable latch pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected with the arm for normally holding the arm in a cocked position with the striking head out of engagement with the plunger, and manual resetting means pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected with the arm for resetting the arm and striking head in their cocked position.

4. A mechanical actuator for operating a conventional manual stapler having a base and a depressible staple driving plunger, said actuator comprising a base member, an upright member secured to the base member, means for securing the base of the stapler on the base member with a side of the stapler adjacent the upright member, a bearing mounted on the upright member, a shaft rotatably supported in the bearing and extending transversely through the upright member, a first crank arm secured to one end of the shaft, a striking head on the free end of that arm above and in striking relationship to the plunger, a second crank arm secured to the other end of the shaft, spring means attached to one of the crank arms for exerting a force thereon to cause the striking head to move into striking engagement With the plunger, a latch normally engaging the second crank arm and normally holding the striking head in a cocked position out of engagement with the plunger, and manual resetting means pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected with the second crank arm for resetting the second crank arm in its normal latched position after it has been released.

5. A mechanical actuator in accordance with claim 4, in Which the manual resetting means includes a bell crank pivotally mounted on the upright member, one arm of the bell crank being connected by a link to an extension of the second crank arm.

6. A mechanical actuator in accordance with claim 4, in which the latch is provided With spring means engaging one of the members for restoring the latch to its engaging position with the second crank arm after that arm is reset in its cocked position.

7. A mechanical actuator in accordance with claim 4, in which the latch is pivotally mounted on the upright member and extends in front of that member.

8. A mechanical actuator for a conventional manual stapler, having a base and a depressible staple driving plunger, said actuator comprising a fiat base member, an upright member secured to the base member, a shaft rotatably supported in the upright member and extending transversely therethrough, a first crank arm secured to one end of the shaft, a striking head on the free end of that arm above and in striking relationship to the plunger, a second crank arm secured to the other end of the shaft, a tension spring attached to the second crank arm and exerting a force thereon to cause the crank arms to rotate and the striking head to move into striking engagement with the plunger, adjustable means mounted on one of the members for adjustably securing the other end of the tension spring, a pivoted latch pivotally mounted on one of the members and engageable with the second crank arm to hold said arm in a cocked position With the striking head out of engagement with the plunger, spring means between the latch and one of the members to restore the latch to its engaging position with the second crank arm after that arm has been reset to its cocked position and resetting means pivotally mounted on one of the members and connected to one of the crank arms for resetting those arms and the striking head in their cocked position.

9. A mechanical actuator for a conventional manual stapler, having a base and a depressible staple driving plunger, said actuator comprising a fiat base member, an upright member secured to the base member, means for securing the base of the stapler on the base member with the side of the stapler adjacent the upright member, a striking head movably mounted on the upright member above and in striking relation to the plunger, spring means operatively connected with the striking head and one of the members for urging the striking head into striking engagement with the plunger and latch means pivotally mounted on one of the members and operatively connected With the striking head for normally holding the striking head in a cocked position out of engagement with the plunger.

No references cited. 

